MSU Video Game Designer Named ‘Human of the Year’

Recognized for her foundational work as an Indigenous video game designer, MSU Assistant Professor ElizabethLaPenséewas selected by the multimedia science and tech publication, Motherboard, as a “Human of the Year,” an honor reserved for a select few individuals who are building a better future for everyone through science and technology.

With its “Humans of the Year” series, Motherboard aims to “focus on a few enterprising individuals in science and tech in particular … whose work has the potential to touch your life and change the world in a positive and novel way…The Humans of the Year share a vision of a better future and a commitment to do their part to construct it.”

LaPensée, who is both Anishinaabe and Métis and whose children are also Beaver Lake Cree, is known for her work with Indigenous communities, work that is designed to have a social impact and to pass along the language, history, and culture of those communities.

An artist, designer, and writer for video games, comics, and animations, LaPensée has received a number of notable awards this past year for her work.